By John Dobberstein, Editor
Broken Arrow’s Rose District has been added to the list of sites where No Kings protestors will set up on Saturday.
No Kings plans to hold a 45-minute “visibility event” at 418 S. Main St., several blocks south from the Flag Day Celebration being by the Oklahoma Military History Center at 112 N. Main St. That event also begins at 11 a.m.
As of Thursday, local No Kings protests had only been listed for downtown Tulsa, 41st Street and Yale Avenue and Woodland Hills Mall at 71st Street and Memorial Drive, but the Broken Arrow event was added recently.
Broken Arrow Mayor Debra Wimpee issued the following statement, saying there is nothing wrong with assembling but violence and vandalism will not be tolerated.
“I want to be absolutely clear: the right to peacefully protest is a foundational principle of our Constitutional Republic. It is protected by the First Amendment, and we fully support that right here in Broken Arrow.
At the same time, we will not tolerate violence, vandalism, or any form of disorderly conduct. That is not reflective of who we are as a community. We believe in the power of civil discourse — speaking out with purpose, but also with respect and responsibility. Let’s continue to lead by example, showing that our voices can be strong without being destructive,” Wimpee said.
The Broken Arrow Police Department will be present during the event to, “maintain a safe environment and manage traffic flow in the area,” she added. “We are committed to supporting your right to protest while keeping our city safe, calm, and accessible for all residents.”
“Thank you, and let’s work together to make this a peaceful and respectful day for everyone involved.”
Organizers of a 250th birthday parade for the U.S. Army in Lawton recently cancelled the event on Saturday due to “security threats.” At this time, there’s no word if any plans have changed in Broken Arrow.
The “No Kings” protests are set to take place across the U.S. to counter what organizers say are President Trump’s plans to “feed his ego” on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. The U.S. Army is also celebrating its 250th Birthday.
Organizers of the No Kings movement say a “core principle” behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action.
“We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events,” the group says on its website.
Jim Priece says
I cannot believe this is going to happen in BA. Join protest of the week club.
John Burgin says
No king day is just what it says. The people putting this on know there is no king in America. Our founding fathers knew Jesus is King. For those reasons there was no reason for a man to be king. No king day is an anti American, anti Christian and most of all an anti Jesus event. America needs to wake up and turn back to King Jesus. Most pastors are not telling us this in their churches because they want your money. But if pastors would start preaching Jesus and standing for him. They would find Jesus would stand with them. Churches would grow and God would provide the money for what’s needed. Long live King Jesus